Southampton AVOID unwanted new record with late strike at West Ham… as boo boys voice their concerns with Graham Potter’s search for a win stretching to SEVEN games

Ring the church bells at St Mary’s, sound the ship horns in the docks. Lesley Ugochukwu’s stoppage time equaliser against West Ham ensured that Southampton will not go down as the lone worst side in Premier League history after all.

Ugochukwu’s strike in the third minutes of added time at the London Stadium earned the point that took Saints level with Derby’s record low tally of 11 from 2007-08 – and they now have five more games to surpass it.

Southampton spurned a host of chances and looked set to fall to yet another defeat when Kyle Walker-Peters’ deflected cross dropped in front of the on-loan Chelsea midfielder who sent the travelling fans into raptures.

‘It was the least we deserved,’ said interim boss Simon Rusk. ‘I was disappointed not to go into half-time ahead but we showed mental stamina in the second half, didn’t feel sorry for ourselves and fully deserved the equaliser. My feeling is we deserved three points.

‘I understand why people will focus on the 11 points but, for me, it’s not useful to obsess about that. Football is about creating moments. That was a lovely moment after a difficult season.’

Ugochukwu’s effort cancelled out Jarrod Bowen’s opener that came at the start of the second half and looked set to secure a win that would have been completely undeserved.

Ugochukwu netted at the death to hand the Saints a point that means they will not go down as the sole worst team in Premier League history

Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring just after the break but the Hammers couldn’t hold on

The Hammers made such hard work of putting away a Saints side that’s lost 26 games all season and have now spent 170 days at the foot of the Premier League.

Niclas Fullkrug, handed his first start since returning from a hamstring injury, forced a save from Aaron Ramsdale in the opening exchanges and later had a goal ruled out for a clear foul on the goalkeeper but that was as good as it got.

West Ham struggled to create anything when they had to ball and had to rely on counter-attacks. Saints moved it with the freedom of a side that’s accepted its fate and twice should have taken the lead.

Kyle Walker-Peters flashed a great chance just wide of the far post after a flowing Southampton move before Kamaldeen Sulemana rattled the crossbar with an attempt of his own.

Not many West Ham fans remained in their seats by the time the half-time whistle blew but those that had remained greeted it with hefty boos – but they were nothing to the ones that greeted the final whistle, furious at the late demise of their team that have not won since February.

‘We weren’t happy at all with the first half and then you can completely understand the reaction at the end because it’s really disappointing to concede late again in the manner we did,’ said Hammers boss Potter. ‘It’s not a performance they want to see, so I completely understand.

‘We have to find a way to be the main player in the game, to control a game with attacking football. We’re some way off being able to do that.

‘We will have to look at the season as a whole and think about what decisions we can make going forward.

Bowen’s goal just after half-time capped off a blistering counter-attacking move from the hosts

Niclas Fullkrug provided an assist on his first start since returning from his injury lay-off

Tyler Dibling fired a fine late chance over the bar at the back post with the visitors looking for the all-important equaliser

Ugochukwu when all seemed lost for Southampton to snatch a point on the road late on

Graham Potter’s side have not won since late February and were booed at the final whistle

‘I still think we can do some special things here but at the moment we are so far away from that.’ 

They almost got away with it. Two minutes after the restart, West Ham broke from a Southampton corner and a fine, sweeping move ended with Fullkrug playing in Bowen and the Hammers skipper rifled the finish into the bottom corner.

Southampton kept going. Areola palmed away Jack Stephens’ shot from the edge of the area. Substitute Tyler Dibling fired a fine late chance over the bar.

And then, when all seemed lost again, the ball dropped to Ugochukwu.